Wednesday April 29, 2015
Johannesburg, SA
Glorious Fall Day
After close to 20 hours on a plane I made it to my hotel around 8am, enough time for a shower and get ready for my day tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. Since I read Alan Paton's masterpiece Cry, the Beloved Country, I was very anxious to get a historical tour of South Africa. I am not an expert on African history nor have I studied it. But after today, I need to learn more about the history and the people as given what South Africa has been through and to see it today, the people of Africa are very strong, resilient and forgiving. Yes, the recent xenophobia riots have taken the toll but the majority want to live in a heterogeneous Africa while preserving the beauty of the land and the many cultures that it is home to.
I arranged a tour with an expert (Yuvu) on the history of South Africa and we met at my hotel I was staying in (Intercontinental Sandton - highly recommend) And he comes from the same village that Nelson Mandela is from - Thembu!.
Oh so much to learn, but Vuyu patiently explained the history, the challenges and the current challenges of building the country. Poverty still exists and mostly with the "natives", those people whose land where taken away by the colonialists. But it is getting better. Soweto was nothing like I expected. A huge city of 20000 people where many live in gorgeous homes but still.... too many in shanty towns with no electricity and plumbing. But there is so much hope, as Vuyu told me. Only 30 years ago he would not have had an opportunity to be a tour guide to Europeans and drive around freely. Now he can own a house car and do whatever his heart desires. But it came with a price... I learned.
First stop was Houghton, very posh neighborhood. Huge homes, bigger than Beverly Hills. See J-burg became wealthy almost instantaneously due to gold. You can feel of the past wealth because of the grand office buildings in the city. In Houghton is where many of the wealthy lived. And when things got "rough", ie, crime increased, all the homes have high walls with electric wiring. And huge body guards. Vuyu said it's still mostly white but there are some "natives" and "coloured" Coloured being Asians and blacks from other countries. We even found where Nelson Mandela lived.
After a tour of Houghton, we then went to Hiilbrow area which during apartheid was "whites only" and was known as Hollywood os S.A. But after apartheid, many abandoned the buildings and ti became a squatter's town. But while driving through , you can see it's beginning to revitalize. And I hope it does as it despite the buildings being run down, I can imagine it becoming the Soho of Johannesburg, and enclave for artists and technologists.
The drive through Hillbrow landed us in front of the African steps, where the judicial court and old jail is. The infamous jail where Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and many of the freedom fighters were held. So I'm embarrassed to say I learned today in front of those steps that Mahatma Gandhi spent years in South Africa and it is when after buying a first class train ticket in South Africa and was physically forced to go to 3rd class , he thought about a non-violent protest against the British in India.
And then we took the drive to Soweto. First impression, really? I'd love to live here. I love the homes, the decorations and the neighborhood. But as of today, only one white person lives there. A lovely lady married to a black person. Well it turns out the first place Vuyu took me to was the "nice" area. Great to see a bustling middle class and upper class. But down the hill, across a ridge, one can see the still standing housing for the miners. Where one window compartment was allowed for 4- 5 miners. Today, the government donated the homes to the needed. However no electricity or plumbing.
Then we went to Motsoaledi, one of the poorest sections of Soweto. Shantytown.... Really when S.A makes SO much money in minerals. One always amazes me when I visit towns all around the world in similar situations is how all the kids are happy, crime is low, and folks keep their area very clean. The woman I met Yvonne, came from the country because of her husband. Her 2 kids are in school and for that she is grateful. I asked her is she wanted to go back to the country, she said NO, because opportunity is here for her kids. The guide that took me around grew up in this shanty town and his mission is to get tourists to visit and blog about it so that the government at least gives them electricity soon.
What was frustrating is that we passed the two electric towers (now defunct) right in the middle of Soweto but was used to provide electricity to the whites only during apartheid. So that led to the next stop ... Vilakazi street where Nelson Mandela lived before going underground and Desmund Tutu's house. Which today is a very happening neighborhood with chi-chi restaurants, shops and galleries! But very near the area is where one of the darkest moment in S.A history happened - the killing of Hector Pieterson. In 1976, Soweto students took to a peaceful demonstration to oppose Africaan as the langusage of instruction. The peaceful demonstration turned violent where 13 year old Hector was the first casualty. The photo of high school student Machubo carrying the lifeless body of Hector next to his sister is still haunting me. I understand that Machubo escaped to Nigeria because he was harassed by authorities and never heard again. Many suspect he was hunted down in Nigeria but SA special forces and killed.
My words cannot adequately describe my experience at the museum. All I can say, is that if I was in the same situation, I HOPE I would have acted bravely as those students and parents. The strength and resolution for justice in the human race no matter what age is humbling to me.
After the emotional visit, the last stop was the Apartheid Museum. Everyone must go to this museum. I spent 3 hours in the museum but it was not enough. I travel so that I can be more human, and was extremely humbled by this museum. I have so much to learn about forgiveness and kindness. What an amazing country South Africa is . Yes it is not perfect, but no where can one find a country living side by side with the "enemy" for the good and preserving the beauty of this wonderful country
Houghton: N. Mandela's house, his latest wife lives here now
People leave stones to honor Nelson Mandela
A very expensive private school in Houghton
Hillbrow: used to be called Hollywood of South Africa
Shop near Hillbrow where original sign still exists as a reminder
A traditional African shop next door
The African steps
Behind the wall is the prison
Nice view of Jo-berg
Soweto!
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Nice!
But still more improvement needed. Houses that were built for the miners which is now occupied for those in need of homes
The Shanty town of Soweto. Shanty towns are getting "smaller" but more work needed. My guide was terrific and gave me a balance view of the what is happening to this young country. So much hope!
Although folks are poor and do not have electricity. They take care of the kids and try and keep the place clean.
Yvonne's house
The beautiful Yvonne
The only street in the world where 2 Nobel Peace prize winners lived
Archbishop Desmund Tutu's house but he spends most of his time in Capetown
Winnie Mandela's restaurant right next to Mandela's house
Nelson Mandela - I admire him so much
Hector Pieterson Museum: The famous photograph
Where the demonstrations happened
The grass points to the spot where Hector Pieterson was killed
The Apartheid Museum
You get a ticket based on your race. I was coloured so entered the non-white entrance.
Solitary Confinement
And as you leave, one enters a peaceful garden, a symbol of hope.
